2004-2005 Men’s Basketball Wrap Up

BILLINGS, MT – After suffering through an injury plagued season a year ago, the Yellowjacket basketball team returned to its high scoring ways in 2004-2005.  MSU Billings finished the season ranked second in NCAA Division II for both scoring and 3-point shooting.  That high octane offense led the Jackets to a 19-8 overall record and a third place finish in the PacWest Conference.

At two points during the season the Yellowjackets were ranked in the NCAA West Region’s top 10.  After an 8-1 start, MSU Billings was ranked ninth in the region.  The only loss during the first nine games of the season came at home to Northwest Nazarene, who the Jackets had beaten on the road just two weeks earlier.

Following a four game road losing skid that included a loss at Division I Brigham Young University in Provo, the Jackets returned to Alterowitz Gym for eight straight conference games.  They kicked off the home stand with a 100-99 overtime loss to BYU-Hawaii in one of the most exciting games at Alterowitz all year. 

Reeling from four straight losses, including their second of the season at home, the Yellowjackets rebounded by going unbeaten for nearly a month.  A seven game home winning streak—during which they scored over 100 points six times—catapulted them back into the West Region rankings at No. 8.  MSUB followed with a thrilling 92-90 win at Hawaii Pacific for its eighth consecutive win.

The Jackets’ winning streak was snapped when back-to-back losses at BYU-Hawaii gave the Seasiders a series sweep of MSU Billings and eliminated the Jackets’ NCAA Tournament hopes.  MSU Billings finished out the year with three wins, defeating MSU-Northern, Johnson & Wales, and Western New Mexico.  Hawaii-Hilo and BYU-Hawaii went on to represent the PacWest at the NCAA Tournament.  Five of the Yellowjackets’ eight losses on the season came to those two teams.

Four Yellowjackets were honored by the PacWest Conference with end of the season awards.  Three players earned all-conference recognition with Justin Hassell, Cameron Munoz and Buddy Windy Boy being named to the all-conference second team.  Freshman Lucas Walker was voted the Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches.

Hassell, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, led the PacWest in rebounding and ranked fourth in the conference for scoring.  He averaged 19.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.  A slashing 6-5 forward, Hassell finished his career ranked tenth in school history for made free throws.  He was named the PacWest player of the week once.  Hassell returned from missing the entire season last year with injury to have the best season of his career in 2004-2005.  He ranked 37^th nationally for scoring average and 38^th in the country for rebounding average.

Munoz, a junior from Chino, CA, ranked third in the PacWest for scoring at 20.4 points per game.  He led the conference in 3-point field goals per game, averaging 4.44.  A two time player of the week selection, Munoz finished his junior campaign with 1,268 career points and 304 career 3-pointers.  He finished second in Division II for made 3-pointers, hitting 111 threes, seventh most in school history for a single season.  He will enter his senior season ranked second in school history for career 3-pointers—67 behind record holder Marcus Hallgrimson—and ninth for career points.  Munoz also finished the 2004-2005 season ranked 23^rd in the nation for scoring average and 24^th for free throw percentage (85.3).

Windy Boy, a junior from Lodge Grass, MT, had a breakout season with 104 three-pointers.  He ranked eighth in the PacWest for scoring at 15.9 points per game and was second behind only Munoz for 3-pointers per game at 3.85.  In three seasons, Windy Boy has 216 career three-pointers, sixth-most in school history.  Windy Boy was seventh nationally for 3-point field goals per game.  He was also 34^th for 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 104 of 250 from behind the arc for 41.4 percent.  Windy Boy’s 104 threes rank eighth in school history for a season.

Walker, a freshman from Launceston, Australia, averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20 games before missing the final seven games of the season with a broken hand.  He quickly became a crowd favorite at Alterowitz for his high flying dunks.  He scored a season high 32 points in a win over Hawaii Pacific just before the injury.

Two of the seven PacWest Academic All-Conference selections were from MSU Billings.  Jonathan Wiley, a sophomore from Westlake Village, CA, topped the list with a 3.94 GPA in finance.  He was also a CoSIDA District VII Academic First Team selection.  Windy Boy also made the PacWest academic team with a 3.37 cumulative GPA in math education.

The Jackets averaged 93.3 points per game in posting their 19-8 record.  They eclipsed the 100-point mark 13 times with a season high 124 against Johnson & Wales.  MSUB made 12.4 three-pointers per game, narrowly trailing Oakland City at 12.7 for the national 3-point title.  The Yellowjackets also ranked 24^th nationally for free throw percentage at 74.5 percent. 

Freshman Carlin Hughes—a point guard from Perth, Australia—climbed all the way to eleventh in the nation for assists after missing the first part of the season.  He averaged 6.2 assists per game.  Wiley ranked 48^th nationally for free throw percentage at 83.8 percent.

At the end of the season Yellowjacket coach Craig Carse handed out seven individual team awards.  Hassell received the Senior Award and Outstanding Rebounder Award.  He also named the MSU Billings Male Student-Athlete of the Year.  Walker was selected as the Outstanding Newcomer; Munoz was named Outstanding Offensive Player; Hughes was chosen as the Outstanding Floor Leader; Windy Boy was named Outstanding Team Leader; and Wiley was selected as the Outstanding Defender.